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“There must be something left to their memory and for the generations of children who will live under the shadow they cast and the scars left from the riot.”

~ Mrs. Katie Duckery

The words of a proud, tearful Mrs. Katie C. Duckery stirred the crowd gathered at Carver Junior High school in the wake of urban renewal, the Federal Model Cities Program, and the wholesale assault on the rich heritage of the Greenwood District. The demolition of historic buildings in the Greenwood District, coupled with general neglect in the African-American community, led to a groundswell of support for cultural preservation: preserving the rich legacy of the entrepreneurs that pioneered the Greenwood District, parlaying it into the “Black Wall Street of America.” Mrs. Duckery lit the spark that fired the hearts and minds of the African-American community, leading ultimately to the preservation of the Prince Mackey House (now, the Mabel B. Little Heritage House) and the construction of the Greenwood Cultural Center.

Conceptually, GCC began to take shape in 1970. After exhaustive discussion, fundraising began. The African-American community raised the first $100,000 of funding for GCC from its own ranks. Some fifteen years later, initial construction began on the first phase of the project. On October 19, 1995, GCC dedicated a 25,000 square feet expansion, honoring the pioneers who spearheaded the Greenwood District’s regeneration and renaissance following the devastating 1921 Tulsa Race Riot. Today, GCC, valued at more than three million dollars, stands as a monument to the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of a community that rose from the ashes.